I Am Leila
by Jen112
Summary: Sheppard's team rescues an imprisoned girl accused of being a 'Demon Child' without knowing exactly what they are bringing into their midst. Why do Sam and the team imprison her in the Ancestral City and what exactly does she have against Ronon? R/OC
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

It was meant to be a routine operation but the team of scientists had called in Sheppard's team with no explanation.

And Sheppard was irritable, "All right Zelenka, what exactly is this all about," Teyla's face was set as she attempted not to roll her eyes.

"Well we were investigating this village's use of the ZPM of course, with the permission that Lorne's team was able to obtain through his extensive negotiations and trade and well…" Doctor Zelenka was agitated to the point of distraction and his words tumbled out so fast that noone could make sense of what he was trying to say- "but they're insisting she has to die and they're completely unreasonable about the killing and the-"

"Killing?" Sheppard interrupted, latching on that important word-

Zelenka continued to ramble "Yes, killing! They say-"

"Zelenka … Zelenka!" Sheppard shouted over top of Radek's ramblings-

Teyla stepped forward and laid her hand on the scientist's arm, "Radek, tell us who is going to be killed?" she asked, her voice had that particular calmness that was undeniably firm, a trademark that was entirely Teyla.

The rambling scientist stopped and look down at her hand in surprise, it did not move. He drew a deep breath, "the girl they've captured, she's about starved to death but they insist she's a danger to them and they're going to kill her tomorrow morning, they're talking about slashing open her chest and having her bleed to death, they want to kill like a wraith would-"

Ronon's eyes were bright "wraith worshippers?"

Teyla glanced at him "no, a wraith worshipper wouldn't need to kill anyone like that, and they wouldn't live in a village like this… Radek did they tell you why she's locked up?"

Ronon started forward again, "anyone who's willing to act like a wraith-"

"Ronon," Teyla warned, no one would admit it, but Teyla was the heart of the team and in many ways she held more power than Sheppard ever could, "Radek, did they say what the prisoner did?"

Radek looked at the other scientists, and shrugged, "They say she's a demon, a wraith – but she's just a girl, a human girl".

Sheppard was no longer irritated, "Alright, Radek you and the rest of the science team head back to the gate, and we'll scout it out. Ronon, we don't know what's going on here so tale a deep breath and calm down – and set your gun to stun."

Ronon looked like he was about to protest but Teyla turned to him, "I don't like the idea anymore than you do, but if Radek is right and she is just a girl than we will not leave her there to die."

Ronan looked hard at Teyla, then at Sheppard as they walked away from him and shook his head, somewhat reluctantly switching his gun onto stun.

Leila shifted subconsciously, a futile attempt to alleviate the pain in her back: the movement only resulted in forcing the bindings to cut deeper into the flesh of her arms, weak from blood loss and lack of food and water Leila couldn't even begin to understand what had awoken her. She felt that this would be one of the last times she awoke, if her captors did not kill her soon there would be no life left in her to take.

There was a light and noises that were incomprehensible, and then it occurred to her that the noises were voices and that she was being moved. If she had the strength to she would have cried out because it was agony to be moved, but creating a sound required more energy than she could muster and so her broken body was carried away without protest.

She did not wonder who carried her, but slept further into herself and sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Thankyou for the review of my first chapter, I know exactly where this story is going but putting it into words is tricky. I've also never written before so any thoughts or reviews would be appreciated. I study full time and work part time and have chickens and a cat and dog to take care of at home, plus a boyfriend, so this story is likely to be very slow in coming out. Hopefully it will be interesting enough to keep people reading despite the (expected) long gaps between chapters.

Chapter Two

Colonel Samantha Carter considered the situation from the back of the infirmary.

The villager's were clearly disappointed that they weren't going to see the girl die, but they had immediately allowed Sheppard's team to take the broken child off their hands – even in her terribly weakened state they were still afraid of her. They had called her the 'Demon Child' and made peculiar gestures with their hands as if trying to ward off evil.

The girl was, Sam decided, not really a girl – she looked to be about eighteen years old, though terribly emaciated. She was slight of figure, not just because she was starved but she was naturally small, tiny even, and covered with dirt.

Rodney had immediately set amount whinging that Sheppard's teams action had jeopardised their chances of studying the new ZPM shield, indicating if he was present events may have gone down differently however even he couldn't deny there was nothing 'wraith-like' about their rescued 'demon'.

Sam nodded to her herself, she'd wait a few days then send Lorne's team back to re-establish communications – no one had said the villagers resented the teams actions. They might even be grateful for the team's intervention. Once they calmed down it might be useful to have more information about the girl anyway. That issue, she decided, was resolved for the moment, even McKay couldn't argue with her course of action.

Now she turned her attention to Ronon, Sam's initial uneasiness about bringing the prisoner onto the base had put him at odds with her (again) as he had assumed an unusual protective stance towards the girl. He allowed no one to come near him while he carried her until he reached the infirmary and even then he would not be parted from her until Jennifer had arrived, at that stage Ronon had entrusted her broken body to the young doctor and cleared off. His face as he stormed through Atlantis had been nothing short of feral, and since then he had refused all but Teyla and John's company.

Sam felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to Teyla, she wasn't surprised – only Teyla would make contact like that. Sam was a leader, and Teyla was a leader, but while Sam relied on her military rank and expertise, Teyla made everyone love her. Although they would never clash as leaders, Sam knew instinctively who would win if they did – Teyla never commanded, but she held more power and respect than anyone she knew, and her touch was very dangerous – it could communicate many emotions. Sam inwardly praised her predecessor's wisdom in including her in the Atlantis team.

"How is she?" Teyla asked gently.

Doctor Keller looked up from her work and approached them. "Doctor?" Sam enquired.

"She's going to be okay" she said quickly. "She's suffering from malnutrition, dehydration, she has some fractured ribs and a broken arm and ankle, but her body heals very quickly, she's responding very well."

"Is she conscious?" Sam asked.

"Not yet, I wouldn't expect her to wake up for a more days, we're feeding her intravenously – and it's going to be really important to make sure she doesn't over eat at first, keeps her fluid up-"

"She's going to be very weak" Sam concluded, halting the young doctor.

"My first priority is to get her well, and then I'd like to do some tests, if that's okay with you, Colonel."

"What kind of… tests?" Teyla asked, her eyes casting from the girl back to Jennifer.

Jennifer shifted nervously; "My understanding is that she'd had no food or water for over a week, which is-"

Sam nodded, "We know-"

"All I'm saying is she's recovering far more quickly than I would've have thought possible, I've taken some blood, we're going to have a look for anything that would indicate why she heals so quickly, and how her body could survive without water for that period of time."

"Very good doctor, the villagers were protected by a ZPM shield but they were very primitive, if it's possible she is another genetic anomaly, the next step in our evolution, it may have been sufficient to frighten the villagers, like our own fear of witchcraft in medieval times."

"Doctor Keller!" one nurse exclaimed, startled.

Jennifer looked over, "Doctor Keller she's awake!"

The three women rushed to her side, the girl gazed at them through heavy lidded eyes and glanced down at the tubes entering her arms and stomach.

Jennifer held her hands up, "It's okay, your safe… we're going to help you."

The girl shifted and looked around the room, then lifted a hand weakly to examine the tube, "It's there to make sure you have all the fluids you need, blood-"

Her eyes shot open and she ripped it out, and tried to leap from the bed, Teyla grabbed her shoulder and swiftly moved behind her, holding the girl against her chest and talking to her "We mean you no harm, but you've been badly hurt and need medical attention, it's going to be okay" she murmured soothingly as several nurses began preparing equipment at Jennifer's instruction. The girl looked in apparent surprise at the needle as Jennifer calmly administered the sedative. Teyla touched the girl's face gently, "We're going to take care of you".

The girl watched them, breathing heavily and fighting to stay awake, "You…"

Jennifer watched her, "I gave her more than enough sedative to-"

"I…" the girl looked at the blood spurting from where she torn out the offending tube and touched her other hand to it; she sighed and ground her teeth, trying to shake the grogginess.

Jennifer administered another sedative, her brow furrowed.

Leila heard the voices and knew what they were saying. "Get her in restraints than we'll reinsert that canular and clean up that hand. Teyla, can you help me get her back onto the bed?" but it was getting dark and…

"Under guard?" Ronon demanded.

"Just until we know what's going on," Sam countered quickly, "It's standard procedure for any alien new to the base, you were under armed guard for some time," she reasoned.

Sam had called Sheppard's team were gathered in the conference room with Jennifer to discuss the 'girl', as people seemed to be calling her.

Ronon smirked at the memory. He inclined his head very slightly and asked "why now, why not before?"

Sam nodded to the young doctor, "Go ahead, Doctor Keller."

Jennifer stepped up, casting her eyes about the way she did when she was nervous, the way she did most of the time, actually. "She… we don't know her name yet… she heals, much faster than any human ever could, but her brain seems abnormally developed in some areas, which we believe may indicate heightened perception – sight, hearing, smell, she uh… there's no way to tell until we see her in action, but the way she shook off the first sedative, and most of the pain killers and sedatives I've tried, indicates she may be… may have, that she may be stronger than a normal human… of her size."

"What exactly are you saying?" John asked, aware that Ronon was very touchy on this subject. He secretly applauded Colonel Carter's choice to have Doctor Keller present this information, Ronon was far less likely to become angry or upset over the actions the medical team had taken if he knew the young doctor was handling the situation.

Jennifer took a deep breath, "She's not entirely human." When no one said anything she continued, "She has wraith DNA, like Teyla, or her son, but we believe it composes fully half of her genetic make up."

"She's a _wraith_!?" Ronon leapt to his feet, upending his chair as he cried out.

Jennifer shook her head and held a hand out "No. No she's not… she's uh… we don't really know."

Rodney jumped in; he had helped Jennifer with her diagnosis. "She's sustained by regular food and water, she has no physical wraith appearances, we don't know what she is – but Jennifer's right, she not a wraith. She can't feed for one… thing…" he trailed off.

Silence descended on the room, Ronon was still standing.

"Could she be one of Michael's hybrids? Or clones?" John finally asked.

Jennifer looked at Rodney; Rodney leaned back and wrung his hands.

"At this point it's hard to say for certain, we can't guarantee it but no… it wouldn't appear so."

Jennifer nodded, "She's not a clone – her telomeres indicate she's in her mid twenties-"  
"She barely looks eighteen" Teyla murmured.

"It's possible that the uh… wraith part of her has slightly slowed her aging process, but some people naturally look younger than they are so…" Jennifer shrugged. "She's not a clone but as for one of Michael's hybrids-"

Rodney nodded, "She just doesn't fit the description of one of Michael's hybrid warriors, apart from her gender and size, she'd be far less powerful than the one's we've encountered… she doesn't show the same deformities and her brain is too active to be as tightly controlled as the hybrids."

Sam nodded, "Thankyou Rodney, Doctor Keller… for now, I suggest we keep her under armed guard at all times, I don't intend on making any decisions about her future before we know her side of the story, she's should be waking up in the next few days so-"

"Doctor Keller, Colonel Carter, request your presence in the infirmary immediately".


	3. Chapter 3 edited

I got this one out much faster; the next one might be more difficult to write. I hope it's not too cheesy. I hate cheese; I'm trying to write a non-corny, non-cheesy story.

Thankyou for the kind reviews, if I hadn't gotten three very nice reviews I probably wouldn't have written this chapter at all. I think the story will be about seven or eight chapters long, depending on where I break up the story. So far each chapter has ended very naturally I think.

Maybe.

What do you think?

Let me know?

Be kind?

UPDATE: I got this out too fast, it didn't read as I wanted it too, I left important stuff out and it was riddled with errors and typos. This is how it was MEANT to be. Sorry . In future I will be more patient.

Chapter 3

Colonel Samantha Carter waved the men back from the entrance to the infirmary and indicated for Teyla to accompany her in. "You might be needed" she murmured; conscious that what she has secretly termed Teyla's 'gift' might be of use.

Doctor Keller was deeply engrossed in conversation with several doctors whilst frantically scanning over several files and shaking her head. Her tone was sharp as she questioned the nurses overseeing the girl and after much discussion the young doctor nodded to her colleagues and approached the patiently waiting pair.

"Colonel, Teyla," she paused, seemingly unsure of what to say. "As far as I can tell… she decided she wanted to wake up and her body destroyed all obstacles in her way. Her system just… suddenly broke down the sedatives in her body, the, the physical damage to her body is all but repaired, and" Jennifer stopped and pulled at a loose lock of hair, "I just don't know what else to tell you. If I'm to be completely honest, all we really did was keep her alive long enough for her body to heal itself."

Teyla looked to the figure on the bed. "Has she said anything?" she asked.

Jennifer bowed her head slightly, "So far she has done nothing except stare at the roof, but she is alert. She hasn't spoken but she should be fully awake and functioning."

Sam nodded, "Thankyou, Doctor. Teyla, would you try and talk to her?"

Teyla nodded, "Of course."

Teyla took in the sight of the girl through sympathetic eyes. The girl was strapped down to the hospital bed, her slight frame perfectly still. Teyla decided she was pretty. She had high set cheek bones and a medium sized perfectly straight nose and clear, white skin with bow-shaped lips of deepest peach. Her eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the ceiling.

"Hello" she said gently, "My name is Teyla".

The girl continued to stare at the ceiling; Jennifer had said she was alert but if she was, she hid it _very_ well.

Teyla raised her hand and gently laid it on the patient's shoulder, and the figure was suddenly charged with life as the girl tried to draw back from the touch which had so disturbed her. Her head snapped sharply towards Teyla and whispered in a soft and under-used voice "this is Atlantis. City of the Ancients. The Ancestral City,".

Teyla raised her head slightly, surprised, but glad the girl could speak. "You are correct, how did you-"

Upon confirmation that this was indeed the city of Atlantis the girl began writhing and struggling against her bindings, begging to be released, and promising frantically not to reveal the location of Atlantis.

Keller and a team of doctors rushed to the bed but they're efforts to subdue the girl only increased her distress. She begged; she promised; she swore she wouldn't harm anyone; she gave her word she would disappear and stay hidden and bother them no more-

Teyla reached out tentatively with her mind, if the girl was part wraith then-

It took only the briefest of moment of contact to discover the cause of the girl's distress. Teyla's eyes turned down with pity as withdrew her thought and indicated to Keller to leave the bed. The doctors reluctantly retired a small distance.

Teyla very gently took the girl's hand and said firmly, clearly, "we already know you are part-wraith."

The girl tensed and fell silent, she was once again perfectly still, but her eyes were wider, her pupils so large as to make her eyes almost appear black.

Teyla stroked her hand and quietly assured her of her safety, so long as she posed them no harm.

The girl's eyes were once again fixated on that invisible spot on the ceiling. She finally said as way of an answer, "I am not a wraith. I'm not human… but I'm-"

Teyla raised her chin slightly, "we know. We know."

"What will you do with me?"

"If you promise to stay here until we organise some living quarters, and stay under armed guard, I will ask if we can remove the restraints. I'm sure you would like a bath".

The girl smiled in spite of herself and turned to look at Teyla through her long lashes. "Teyla," she said, trying the name out. "You are Teyla."

"Yes… and you are?"

"I am Leila."

Leila watched as Teyla departed, she was tired from the effort of healing her broken body and weak from weeks of being immobile. The effort involved in maintaining a straight face was both physically and emotionally draining. In truth, she was terrified.

Never in her life had she been in the presence of so many people. The fear was better than anger though, she was glad they had not seen her when she wished to fight.

Though these people had rescued her, and upon discovering who she was had continued to care for her (or so she had been told), Leila knew that sooner or later she would give herself away.

She had to get away as soon as possible.

Anyway, the city itself didn't want her here.

Leila looked over to the group whom Teyla was addressing and her blood froze.

The one she had wished never to meet again was here. _Here_! With the people who has rescued her.

Tall and dark skinned, with a mane of black hair… She _knew_ him.

Leila's eyes darkened and her face paled to be uniformly white. "_Murderer_!" she hissed through clenched teeth. Fear and anger; the desire to flee and the will to fight were equally roaring in her ears.

With one sharp movement Leila broke free of her restraints, tearing the bindings from the bed she leapt nimbly to the top of a machine near her which was emitting two beeps with increasing frequency.

The group turned to her in mutual surprise as Leila tore each cord and tube from her body. From her precarious perch atop the tiny machine she cast her eyes around for an exit and saw a window at the far end of the infirmary. She dropped to the ground, her feet making contact for the fleetest of moments before she flew with unparalleled speed towards the window, "Leila, stop!" Teyla called out, tearing after her.

Leila leapt high and landed on a bench, crouching down she turned back to the group, her feral eyes fixed upon Ronon Dex. She looked a wild animal, her knees bent beneath her as she prepared to fight or flee, her breath issued sharply and evenly from her flared nostrils.

"Murderer! He wants to kill me!" she hissed at them, at _him_. And for one moment she changed.

The group drew back and even as Sheappard reached for his pistol Ronon levelled his gun at her.

All Leila knew now was that she didn't have a weapon, and was currently very weak.

Teyla approached her cautiously, "Leila… comed down-"

Leila didn't hear a word, she was weak and she was cornered. This was a perfect time for _him_ to finish the job. Her best option was to run.

Ronon had never seen the girl in his life, but the creature perched atop the hospital bed now was no girl, she was a wraith.

The wraith's lips trembled, and it was no longer a white-skinned wraith with scarred cheeks but a girl, small and terrified. Ronon watched in horror as the girl soared through the air, broke through the window and launched herself into the sky over Atlantis.


	4. Chapter 4

I read that some people were confused as to the location of each part of the story and I consequently had a look back and while it is stated where they are (the infirmary, mostly) the rooms aren't really described at all so I'll try and be more explicit in the future. Maybe what is confusing is between paragraphs I often change the point of view, if point of view changes the location normally won't. I've never written fiction before and there are obviously many aspects of my writing that need improvement.

The first chapter took place on a planet where they were investigating a ZPM powered shield, the second chapter was in the infirmary and then in what I called the conference room. By conference room I mean that room they sit in when they have meetings around that semi-circle bench. The third is entirely in the infirmary, Carter had asked the team minus Teyla to wait back at the door and Leila spied Ronon from where Teyla went to ask the group about untying her.

I had actually explained the location of individuals within the infirmary more clearly but I felt it made the chapter flow very poorly and I ended up cutting almost all of it all out. As I see everything so clearly in my head if I write it all down I think it seems like too much detail and is boring for me to read because I already know where they are and where people are and what the room looks like. Actually, come to think of it that way, that could be a big problem in my writing. All right… I will try to rectify that when I write this chapter.

There is a short flashback here, and it's in _italics_, as all future ones will be. I am in no way, shape or form a fan of flashbacks, I find they're overused, cheap ways of conveying information but… here I am, using flashbacks. I guess I'm trying to introduce a completely unknown character into an established team, well, that's my excuse anyway.

And I just realised the dividers I use in microsoft Word to show change of location or point of view don't show up here... I will try and fix this as I'm sure it has made it difficult to read, sorry.

* * *

Chapter 4

John, Sam, Ronon, Jennifer, Rodney and Teyla dashed to the infirmary window from which Leila had escaped. Teyla reached it first and thrust her head out to watch the wraith-girl fall. She gasped audibly and recoiled from the window, her hand placed on her breast and her eyes tightly closed as she tried to catch her breath.

John and Ronon looked out the window, John turning to look quizzically at Teyla "Where did she go?" he asked, his voice had a tone of warning to it.

Teyla steadied her breathing "She used… she grabbed…" she couldn't help feeling relieved that Leila hadn't fallen to her death, "she was able to take hold of a window ledge and break through a window some floor down."

Ronon snarled and his hand snapped to his gun, "She's loose." He turned with lithe grace and strode with purpose towards the door of the infirmary.

Teyla's eyes grew wide at the way he gripped his weapon, "Ronon!" she called after him; the feral look in his face filled her with fear for the girl. Teyla could not believe that Leila would hurt anyone; she had touched the girl's mind and knew she was not a killer. Teyla followed Ronon closely, trying to reason with him - but it was Doctor Jennifer Keller who surprised them all.

Unseen by anyone she had determined Ronon's actions and moved to block the exit. She stood in the door of the infirmary, her shoulder's squared. "She is not a wraith," she said clearly.

Ronon stopped in front of her, towering over the young doctor and fixing her with his dark, steady gaze.

She did not back down. Instead, the doctor raised her chin and looked Ronon squarely in the eyes, "the only way you are getting out of this infirmary without hearing what I have to say is by shooting me."

He watched her, his anger rising steadily, "I wouldn't have to shoot you-"

"I won't let you out, are you going to hurt _me_ Ronon?"

Ronon took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He holstered his gun and stood back. "Talk. Fast."

Jennifer nodded, and then fell back into the uneasiness the team were used to seeing in her; Sam secretly marvelled at her ability to spring into action when the situation required it.

"Um. Rodney?" Jennifer appealed. "The girl… Leila, she's not a wraith."

"I know what I saw," Ronon hissed.

Rodney shook his head in thought as he approached Ronon and then turned back to the group, one finger in the air, "Technically Jennifer is right. She might have looked like a wraith, then, for a moment, but… she obviously doesn't need to feed. She was sustained and nourished by the intravenous fluids given to her, she may have looked like a wraith, she may even have the ability to feed but-"

"She's not a killer" Teyla said firmly. "I connected with her mind while she was here and the mind I felt was unlike any wraith-mind I had ever encountered. Different even to the wraith-child Ellia."

Ronon snorted, "Ellia killed people, too."

Teyla lay her hand on Ronon's shoulder, "Ronon, her mind has an innocence to it that I would never had thought possible. And she's terrified. We have to find her."

John and Sam watched this with interest. Ronon, argued into submission by two rather small females. Sam had complete confidence and trust in Doctor Keller, now she also respected her as a person. John seemed to sense her thoughts and winked at her, then his brow furrowed in thought, "so how do we find her? This city's a big place and she moves fast."

Teyla shook her head, "she may well be slowed down by the injuries she sustained in escaping."

John was discussing the best use of search parties while Ronon argued he could find her on his own when Sam had a thought, "Rodney," she said brightly, "the life scanners, they detect different life forms, such as wraith and human life signs separately right?"

Rodney began snapping his fingers, "yes, it's possible the scanners might detect the, but," he paused, "they never detected Teyla's wraith DNA-"

"She is _half_ wraith, we could boost-"

"Yes, yes, yes," Rodney flustered; he and Sam turned and began walking to the control room whilst shooting ideas back and forth.

John looked at Ronon, "are we cool?"

Ronon refused to use the word 'cool' but he nodded shortly. "You coming?" he asked Teyla.

Teyla looked at Jennifer and shook her head slowly, "No, I will join you soon. Please remember what I said Ronon, John. Please find her and bring her back here. Safely."

They departed and Jennifer turned to Teyla, "It's not that I don't… like your company but uh… well. I just thought…" she trailed off.

Teyla smiled "You thought I would want to be helping with the search for Leila."

Jennifer nodded.

Teyla frowned, "it won't matter if they catch her, she is terrified, and potentially very dangerous, but I cannot give up so lightly. I have an idea."

* * *

"There!" Sam pointed at the screen. She was leaning over Rodney's shoulder in the control room and both were so absorbed in their work the close proximity didn't register with either of them. They were both scientists and their work involved them completely. The task now completed she drew back and fell into her position as commander of Atlantis. "Let Sheppard know I'll be joining the search party – you stay and direct us from here" she directed, briskly leaving the control room.

"Right", McKay murmured, watching her retreating back with some surprise. He looked around and signalled John over the intercom, "Sheppard we've found her." Sheppard was in the arms room equipping a small team with stunners, "she's heading west along the main corridor, and Teyla might be right about her injuries, she's moving very slowly, at least for the moment, Sam's on her way to help."

"How far away is she, Rodney?" Sheppard's impatient voice came back.

"Sam?"

"The girl, Rodney."

"Just over two miles from your location-"

"You _said_ she was moving slowly."

"She is, obviously she was moving faster earlier and has now slowed down," Rodney had a peculiar way of talking to people as if they were idiots.

John swore at him. "Colonel's here and we're moving out". A dark flash caught the corner of his eye and John turned in time to see Ronon flying from the room.

Lieutenant Ford began to try and follow but Sheppard stopped him, "We'll never catch him, let's just hope he can't track people through stone cities."

* * *

In hind-sight, Leila had to conclude that her course of action had been somewhat flawed. While falling through the air over the city she had become intimately acquainted with the immensity of the city, and of the ocean extending right to the horizon.

She was trapped. The city was large enough she probably hide indefinitely she would have no access to food or water. Her best hope was to find somewhere to hide and recover from her injuries then to go back to the more populated areas and have a go at reaching the star gate.

_If_ she recovered.

Leila stopped and inspected the large dagger of glass wedged into the sole of her left foot. It had slowed her down immensely, as she was only able to touch the very tip of her foot to the floor; it appeared to be lodged in an artery as her attempt to remove it resulted in such blood loss that Leila quickly realised she needed somewhere safe for her to sit down and put her leg up in order to safely pull it out.

The more she considered her situation the more hopeless it seemed. The more hopeless she believed her situation to be the more keenly she felt the pain of the glass shards embedded in her body. She resolved to find somewhere safe to tend to her wounds.

Leila picked up her pace and continued walking gingerly through the tall, dark corridors, occasionally opening a room and dismissing it.

She was lost, and she didn't know what she looking for. Finally she found a small dark room that looked to be some sort of living area. She ignored the bed and hobbled into the corner adjacent to the entrance, her head spinning. It occurred to her she had lost a significant amount of blood, and she carefully curled up against the wall.

Through the haze of her mind her memories seemed clearer than reality. She remembered being chased, through the forest, her own forest, her home. She wouldn't be caught though, she had been chased before, and she knew the forest's hiding spots better than anyone. She found the oldest tree in the forest; the old ancient tree had been her friend for many years and its long limbs reached down to her now. She gratefully climbed up and wriggled into one of the holes created by the branch twisting together, cocooned in the tree she lay for two full days together before daring to venture out, when, fatigued with hunger and lack of water, she had just enough strength to make it home.

_*She hoped her grandmother would not be _too_ worried. Two days was a long time to be gone for, but she had obtained the seeds, they would be able to grow enough vegetables to support themselves through the year. Leila was proud of herself, she was getting faster and stronger._

_She remembered the man who had chased her, was he even a man? Leila couldn't boast seeing many people in her life, but she had never believed a person could be so big, or dark. It was the first time in many years she had been truly frightened._

_Leila picked up the pace, she was eager to get home-_

_Her stung as if it was being burned and in surprise Leila looked down and saw the teeth of a metal trap embedded deep in the flesh above her ankle, blindly she stumbled forwards in panic. Her right foot caught on some invisible snag and she tripped. Instead of hitting the ground she was hoisted up into the air to hang upside down by a thick rope secured around her foot.*_

But there were other memories too; memories that were not her own. _'Leila, can you here me?'_

Leila looked around for the source of the disembodied voice, she was alone. "Teyla?" she asked cautiously.

'_Leila, I carry within me wraith DNA. Similar to you, but different, it enables me to communicate with Wraith, and those like myself who carry the wraith-gene.'_

"What do you want?" Leila demanded angrily, "Leave me alone."

'_I know you are scared of Ronon, I do not pretend to know why, but I want to show what I know of Ronon. I want to share my memories with you.'_

Leila considered this… she remembered the metallic taste of her own blood as her foot wound showered her with it, she remembered the cold of that night as she worked herself free of the netting and bindings that had trapped her in the air. And she felt, right now, that it was all too much. Her back was the only part of her body not punctured by glass, and she was cold and tired and had no hope of escaping. She curled up and began to weep as she allowed Teyla to share her memories of a fun loving warrior with a tragic past.

Leila was unaware of how long she had been crying on the floor, she had mustered the strength at one point to repel Teyla's gentle presence and memories and was left to try and navigate through her own feelings. The slick sound of a machine powering up interrupted her thoughts and she looked up.

Ronon's gun stared back.

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

Ah… season five just came out on DVD in Australia and I have watched the whole thing. I'm not going to change anything that was going to happen in this story, even though some of my story contradicts things from season five (and some earlier seasons too, occasionally). The idea for the story actually came about after the episode (in season two, I think) where prisoners are sent to the island with the gate to be wraith food, and the leader of the hive was eating dinner and said some few wraith still enjoyed eating human food, even though it didn't sustain them. I though that if some wraith still retained the pleasure of eating human food, why couldn't some wraith still partake in other human pleasures (ie. reproducing?).

Lots of back story on Leila here, be another couple of chapters before you know the rest, and then you can hopefully get to know her a bit better and see how she's going to fit into Atlantis.

Reviews are much appreciated, please review!

Chapter 5

Ronon looked down the barrel of gun to the wraith-girl, waiting for a fight or flight reaction.

Leila lifted her weary head up and surveyed him through heavy lidded eyes. A deep sigh escaped her lips as her head slowly dropped, her forehead coming to rest against his gun.

"How did you find me?" she whispered.

"I followed the blood."

Leila cast her eyes to the floor, splatters of blood shone in the weak light of the dark room. She closed her eyes.

They remained motionless for some time in that position, Leila fighting for consciousness and Ronon watching her, unwilling to believe the girl was as weak as she appeared. It was some time before he allowed himself to admit that the girl really didn't look well – that the large daggers of glass jutting from her shoulders and chest might actually be causing her some pain, that the blood loss might have weakened her, to some extent. And while he couldn't see her face, he had heard her sobbing as he approached.

Still Ronon wasn't convinced; it might yet be some sort of ruse. The best thing to do would be to stun her, and take her to the shielded jail cell, but he had promised Teyla and the doctor that he wouldn't hurt her and in her (supposedly) weakened state he wasn't sure she would survive a stun blast.

Finally he asked her if she could walk.

Leila didn't answer, didn't respond, and didn't move.

"Are you a wraith?" he demanded.

Her tiny face turned to him; fine trails of blood decorated her face where tiny fragments of glass had punctured her pale skin.

Her eyes were red from crying.

Her nose twitched and suddenly her face twisted into and ugly snarl, "It wouldn't matter – you kill human and wraith alike."

Ronon felt his face contort with anger and shock as she continued, in a voice of dreadful rage she "you killed my grandmother I _hate_ you!"

Ronon stopped in surprise, lowering his gun.

The girl tried to stand, but the large sword of glass Ronon had noticed wedged in her foot prevented her touching her foot to the ground and she lost balance, falling down with a sound that was part sob, part scream.

Ronon considered the girl at his feet as she struggled to manoeuvre herself into a position where glass wasn't being pushed further into her body. She gave up and fell still, her head hung low over her chest, her dark hair shielding her face from his gaze.

She spoke softly, with a weariness that conveyed the pain her wounds were causing her. "Teyla tells me you are a good person. A noble warrior and friend."

Ronon wondered when Teyla could have told her any thing of the sort.

"So why did you…" Leila shook her head, her river of hair shifting softly, "nothing makes any sense. Teyla's memories, thoughts, feelings are so…" Leila turned to gaze upon him and whispered softly, "what are you?"

Ronon watched as every last vestige of colour drained from her face and her eyes darkened, it was clear she was not feigning; she was badly injured. His lip twitched as he made his decision; "I promised I'd take you back to the doc unharmed" he said, "Can you walk?"

Leila nodded and tried valiantly to climb to her feet but Ronon shook his head, "It is several miles to the infirmary; it will be faster if I carry you."

She hissed at his words and her voice contorted with fury suppressed only by fear and extreme tiredness, "I will kill you if you touch me, _murderer_." Leila hauled herself to her feet, swayed and stumbled forward, the glass in her foot bit further in and with a strangled cry she fell into Ronon's arms. Ronon caught her instinctively, a large piece of glass slicing his arm open above the elbow. He grabbed her and swung her up into his arms, holding her gingerly to his chest, "I think this will be almost as painful for me as for you, you might kill me without even trying" he growled.

* * *

Leila was vaguely aware that this seemed rather familiar, pain burned through her body and she had a distant understanding that she was moving. Not just moving, but being moved, carried through darkness. It occurred to her she should consider fighting; freeing herself, but the thought was lost to ocean of darkness she was swimming in.

And she felt safe.

* * *

It had been several days since Ronon had carried the unconscious wraith-girl into the infirmary for the second time, but this time it had taken Jennifer Keller half an hour to treat the cuts Ronon had received from carrying the injured Leila two miles through the city. As before she had healed with extraordinarily speed and after being fitted with new restraints and moved to an isolation room, Leila had spent the last day stoically ignoring everyone around her. She did not eat or sleep, just stared at the ceiling. Teyla had tried to talk to her, and had even attempted to connect with her mind, but Leila now knew how to fend off Teyla's mind, and she repelled all attempts at communication with such force that Teyla had been forced to retire with a splitting headache.

The team was aware Teyla had talked to Leila before Ronon had found her, but Teyla had so far refused to reveal the details of what they had shared. They weighed heavily on her though, and none could remember the last time Teyla had appeared so forlorn.

* * *

Sam, John, Teyla, Rodney, Ronon and Jennifer were meeting in the conference room with Major Lorne, whose team had been attempting to unearth information about the captive. For the first few days no one at the village had dared speak of the 'demon-child' except to thank the Atlantis team for removing her and warning them against keeping her alive. No one appeared to be able to accuse Leila of anything beyond being a demon. Finally an elder had directed Lorne to Leila's home world, where the tale of the demon-child was revealed to Lorne.

Rodney looked stunned – "A wraith _raped_ a human?"

John raised an eyebrow, "Is that even possible?"

A stunned Keller looked at Rodney, "Maybe?"

Rodney looked sick, but nodded, "different wraith have different levels of uh…"

"Human-ness?" Keller finished, biting her lip and casting her worried eyes to the floor.

Rodney nodded, "For lack of a better word, then there's also instances of wraith who have tried to alter human's to make feeding easier, and any number of reasons why a wraith might alter themselves. There's several plausible explanations, we may never know but-"

"Rodney," Sam interrupted, every person in the room looked sick to the stomach. She looked back to Evan and nodded, "Go ahead Major."

Evan nodded, "There's no nice ending to this story, it seems like during this culling several women were… violated, rather than culled. Subsequently three women fell pregnant: two of them died several months in, but Leila's mother survived to actually give birth at seven months."

Teyla tried to imagine carrying the child of a wraith and shuddered, "She survived?"

Sam closed her eyes, Evan had already related the affair in full to her, and she felt for him, having to recount it twice. This time it would be on record, he would never have to repeat it again.

Evan turned slightly green, "No…it would appear that giving birth to Leila was similar to…" He sighed, and then squared his shoulders and stood up straighter - he was a soldier and he would do his duty, "She died during childbirth. The villagers believe that Lena, Leila's grandmother had attended the childbirth, and predicting the villagers would fear and likely kill the baby. Gathered supplies and fled through the star gate. The townsfolk had discovered the mother's body several days later, by which time Leila's grandmother had taken supplies and fled through the star gate with the infant. For six years the townspeople heard nothing; all searches came up empty."

Ronon listened as Lorne relayed the townspeople's stories of the tiny demon-child entering their villages in the dead of night and stealing their seeds, crops and poultry, and of how many of their trading partners had experienced similar losses. He closed his eyes and bowed his head.

_Ronon was tired. He was getting better at killing the wraith who hunted him, he was learning quickly, but the pain of his loss still weighed heavily on him. He exited the ring of the ancestors and made his way away from the gate. Hopefully there would be a secure spot he could sleep tonight. He heard footsteps and yelling and dashed to hide behind some nearby bushes. The DHD began lighting up and he realised that a very small person was dialling out, the ring activated and the tiny figure ran through. Moments after the gate deactivated a group of men ran into the clearing waving pitchforks and carrying torches._

"_It escaped," one cried, anguished._

"_Our village will never be safe so long as the demon lives!" another shouted, "We should not have let the demon-child escape again."_

_Ronon revealed himself, "What demon?" he asked gruffly._

_The villagers had told of the demon that attacked village at night, they were describing a wraith, a young one by the sounds of it. Ronon had sent the address, he told the villagers he would deal with it and followed the wraith. One young, wraith on its own, probably stranded… this was exactly the practice he needed, if he was going to stay alive._

Ronon stood up abruptly, he knew the girl. He _knew_ Leila. He had hunted her that night and failed… In his frustration he had set a number of traps in the forest and left.

Teyla's hand on his arm made Ronon jump, he looked down at it in surprise. "Ronon?" Teyla repeated, clearly worried that he hadn't answered her inquiry.

"You okay buddy?" John asked, concerned.

Ronon looked up, his eyes slightly wild. "I didn't know she was just stealing food, they just said she attacked the village. And I never killed her grandmother," the group watched in amazement as he stormed from the room.

Teyla sighed and shut eyes, "When I shared my memories with Leila, just before she shut me out, I saw something. A memory of hers, I think. She was trying to get home, she'd been chased and had hid in the forest for a long time, but Ronon had set several traps, a metal traps was digging into her ankle-"

Keller looked up, "There is deep scar tissue around her left ankle, and at the rate she heals I knew it would have been a very severe injury to leave scars like that, I never got the chance to ask…"

Teyla smiled a small, sad smile. "She triggered a trap that had her hanging in the air by her good ankle, the blood was dripping from her injured ankle onto her face, and it took her hours to get free, she dislocated her uninjured ankle in the process. I don't know what happened after that, but I felt… Leila felt…" Teyla shook her head, "I cannot describe the pain - the physical and emotional pain that is connected that memory. I don't know how anyone could carry it."

The room was silent, everyone lost in their own thoughts. John offered to find Ronon, talk to him, but Sam shook her head. "There's something else we need to consider."


	6. Chapter 6

I have plans for Michael and he's important for keeping Leila trapped on Atlantis and some other bits and pieces further on so Michael is very much alive in this story. That's fan fiction, I guess. On a side note, I didn't like the way they had Teyla kicking Michael off, I think Teyla is better than that.

I am becoming concerned with the amount of times I've had Leila crying, I don't want people to think she's like... a wimp or anything, because she isn't like that at all. But when I was exploring her character I increasingly realised she had to be completely open and honest with her emotions – living on her own her entire life she has never ever had to censure her emotions in order to fit in, she's never had a reason to hold back her tears or laughter as there's never been anyone there to call her on her reactions. Anyway, now things are a little more settled watch out, she's a bit of loose canon, and quite unpredictable.

Ronon's not really in this chapter, but he'll be in the next one!

Chapter 6

"I am… a prisoner?" Leila summarised, her gaze fixed firmly on her feet. Her restraints had been adjusted to allow her to sit up on her hospital bed, but Leila looked distinctly uncomfortable. Sam looked uneasily at Teyla, then pushed her head slightly forward and smiled as she uncomfortably shifted her shoulders, "I'd rather you think of yourself as a… as a _guest_. You could have some freedom to move about, maybe interact with other people. You would be safe here."

"Safe from this 'Michael'".

"Yes."

Leila raised her steely eyes to fix the colonel with a challenge lighting in the corners of her eyes and a small smile upon her lips, "and if I didn't want to stay here?" she murmured softly, her head tilting to the side. "If I told you I would take every opportunity to escape?"

Sam lifted her chin; she hadn't wanted to coerce the girl like this but… "There is a prison complex beneath the city, with cells protected by impenetrable shields. We would make you as comfortable as possible, but you would be confined there, until we deemed it safe for you to be released."

"I am a prisoner, then." Leila closed her eyes; a small part of her had hoped that they would just… let her go. That maybe they would have decided that keeping her here wasn't worth the risk. It was suffocating, being in this room. Leila had been running, climbing, planting, reaping, cleaning and exploring her forest her entire life – being tied to this bed was killing her. Being confined was killing her. She could never survive being confined to a prison cell indefinitely. There was no decision, only defeat: "I'll stay here," Leila whispered. Ten years of solitude had diminished Leila's ability to inhibit her emotions and she could not stop the tears forming in her eyes and splashing down her face.

And then, before their eyes Leila was not just Leila – her pupils narrowed and her pale eyes widened as two identical, deep scar-like marks appeared on each side of her face, marring her alabaster cheeks, Sam recoiled instinctively and then stopped.

Leila was a wraith, but she was not. Her skin was still smooth - it didn't have the mottled appearance of a true wraith and she lacked the imperial bearing of the wraith queens they had encountered - and more than that, she was crying. Tears flowed down her face and Sam and the men in the observation room watched as Teyla stepped forward, firmly placing her hands on Leila's shoulders she turned the girl to face her. Their foreheads touched lightly and in that position they remained, with he Colonel and the stunned team looking on from the viewing room in complete silence.

Leila sighed deeply and again she appeared human, but neither of them moved. "I don't understand," she murmured, her soft protest heard clearly in the surreal quiet that had fallen on the room.

It was several minutes before either of the two women moved, and when Teyla did draw back she maintained eye contact with the girl and slowly and deliberately unfastened Leila's restraints. The marines at the door gripped their P90s and readied themselves.

And Leila remained where she was. Her eyes shone with an array of emotions and Sam watched Leila's pretty face with fascination; it dawned on her that if one was living in complete isolation they would have no reason to censure their emotions, no need to inhibit their thoughts and reactions in order to conform to social norms. Sam's thought caught herself of guard; she was not the most perceptive of people, but she felt she had just been gleaned privileged information about the young woman: Leila had never needed to hide her feelings; she was completely open and honest.

Teyla looked earnestly at Leila, "May I?" Leila gave an indolent shrug of her shoulders and Teyla turned to Sam, took a breath and straightened, "When Leila is settled in; I believe I can fill in the gaps in our information."

* * *

The team met not two hours later, and Teyla fleshed out the details of Leila's past that Leila had allowed her access to, although the Athosian was quick to point out - "Leila won't be letting me near her mind again, she's very astute and it makes her mind very…"

"Dangerous?" Ronon finished gruffly.

Teyla's eyes widened slightly and she shook her head absently before lowering her head slightly. "She is certainly unique, I think Leila thinks differently to other people; her mind seems to be continually running multiple conversations and thoughts. It was…" Teyla smiled slightly, "Fascinating."

Ronon leaned back in chair and rested his great head on the top of his chair. Since his second encounter with Leila he had withdrawn even further into himself, largely lost in his own thoughts. He still couldn't dismiss the notion that Leila might still be a threat. Atlantis was his home, and the city of the Ancestors. And the girl, _woman_, Leila, was a wraith. That _had _to be wrong, she could never be accepted here, and she had nothing to contribute. If they had locked her up, things would have been simpler.

Jennifer Keller nodded, "There are many reasons a lady of her age would die naturally, a cardiac arrest for one." Ronon looked up, surprised; Leila's grandmother had died _naturally_?

Leila had arrived home after her harrowing ordeal to find her grandmother dead in their garden, so far as Teyla could tell there was no evidence of foul play, but as Leila had not witnessed anyone die since the day of her birth and it was not surprising she had not considered that someone could die naturally.

Leila had arrived home, shaken and badly injured, only to find her grandmother, the only person she had ever known, dead.

Teyla looked directly at Ronon, "You weren't responsible for the death of Leila's grandmother but…" Teyla sighed and looked the assembled group. "Even now, after I've explained to her, Leila doesn't truly comprehend the idea that people die naturally, of age or of disease." She turned to the group, "Leila _knows_ that Ronon was not involved in the death of her grandmother, but that knowledge does not necessarily equate understanding."

* * *

The weeks to come were some of the most interesting the Atlantis personnel had seen. The IOA began by insisting that Leila be imprisoned below the city, but one week later ordered that she be transferred to Earth for study. Sam argued that Leila was not a threat while under constant armed guard, and that any 'study' Leila permitted was best performed on Atlantis. It had taken all of Sam's diplomatic skills to keep Leila at the base; and her job was now hanging on tenterhooks.

It soon became apparent that Leila was not good at sitting still, and she took her guards for several long walks each day – often for several hours at a time. Neither was she good at walking around objects, if something happened to obstruct her path Leila simply _flowed_ over it, this made trips to the mess hall interesting: people tended to notice as she walked over benches and chairs and tables with an almost distracted grace. Leila appeared to be a _part _of her surroundings, she was always aware of where she was, and where everything around her was in relation to her.

Furthermore, she didn't take to chairs very well. "Evan," she insisted plaintively, "if I had to start running in hurry, it'd take me ten times as long to haul myself out of that thing if I was sitting like you always do," Leila observed Major Lorne through her dark lashes from her 'seat' that was the source of the conversation.

She was perched in a squatting position on a chest of drawers, while the Major relaxed in a chair next to Leila's window, his gun forgotten and resting on his lap. Leila preferred to stand, but when she _had _to sit on a chair she would step nimbly onto it, turn around and 'perch' there, knees bent low underneath her slight frame.

"Leila, this is _Atlantis_ - the only reason for you to need to move that quickly is if you wanted to attack someone, no one is going to be attacking you," Evan repeatedly reasonably, it was a conversation they'd had many times before.

Leila rolled her eyes and stroked the hem of her dress absently; Leila had been too small for an Atlantis uniform, so after a short conversation Teyla had taken some money and supplies off-world and procured a half dozen dresses with which Leila was happy.

Leila's grandmother had taught Leila to make dresses from the hide of a large herbivore that lived in the forest. She created the dresses using animal sinew thread and bone needles, and cured the hides herself.

The dresses Teyla had bought her were very similar in cut and colour to those dresses, but they were made from softer fabrics. Jennifer had questioned the practicality of the dresses for someone who had grown up needing to run and move swiftly, but Leila simply couldn't understand how constricting one's legs in 'pants' could possibly be functional. Teyla had, however, thrown in one surprise - a dress so beautiful Leila was almost afraid to wear it. Leila had never known something could be so pretty, and had only worn it in the privacy of her own quarters late at night when she couldn't sleep.

"Leila?" Evan asked, slightly concerned. This last week he had noticed her becoming increasingly forlorn.

Leila tossed her head and sighed shortly, "Mmm?"

The first weeks of her 'freedom' had seen her exploring the city, talking animatedly and jumping speedily from one topic to another and back again, and having heated discussions with the cooks in the mess hall. Her quirkiness had quickly captured the hearts of Atlantis, but today in particular Leila seemed almost… dull. Most days of she came across Rodney McKay the young woman would have asked him one silly questions, such as how many windows were in Atlantis, and one and one equalled one, or why mountains _were_, today when she had seen him she had barely acknowledged his existence.

Evan considered her, an idea forming in his mind. He rose to his feet and came to stand in front of Leila, "Have you ever been taught how to fight?" he asked.

Leila looked up, one eyebrow raised slightly.

And she smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

Ah I'm sorry it's been a long time between chapters, but… I've finished uni for the year! So I should be able to get next chapters out more quickly, if this beautiful spring weather doesn't distract me toooooo much.

Thankyou to people who have reviewed, particularly GypsyWitchBaby! I wouldn't have written past the first chapter if people hadn't written and said such lovely things 

Hope you find this to your liking… this chapter is the first real turning point in their relationship.

Chapter Seven

Leila had always relied on her superior speed and strength, but while the soldiers of Atlantis were neither as strong nor as fast as her, the way they used the strength they did have, their _technique_, made them more efficient fighters than her. Not that Leila had ever needed to fight anyone: her raids on the villages involved sneaking in and fleeing before anyone was aware of her 'visit'.

Major Lorne was showing her a basic attacking technique, and Leila knew if she was truly fighting she'd be able to escape, but she was terrible at trying to fend him off. After being to the floor several times, Leila began to breakdown his movements – she was not uncoordinated, and soon realised that she could 'feel' where Evan was and use it to her advantage. She had just started a series of blows that Evan had taught her, and was vaguely aware that the doors had opened, when Evan blocked her arm and again, Leila found herself on the floor.

"You're teaching her," a gruff voice paused, "to fight?"

Leila recognised the voice immediately and sprung to her feet. The hatred that coursed through her veins the instant she laid eyes on him was killing her, she couldn't breathe. It was suffocating, she tried to focus her thoughts, to hold onto her sanity but the fear, the hatred was overpowering. _Fight or flight_, her body warned her.

And then it was replaced with something else. A memory. Memories. He had saved her. He had found her, taken her to the infirmary…

Leila crouched down low, ready to run; he had tried to _kill_ her. He had saved her. _Kill. Save. Kill. Save._ Leila couldn't settle her thoughts; she gave in and surrendered to her instincts.

* * *

Ronon watched as the girl flew from the ground where Lorne had thrown her and gracefully landed on her feet, poised and ready to flee, '_or attack_', he thought darkly. Ronon had not had a chance to clearly view her wraith-like form: he watched as Leila's dark hair moved with agitation and he raised his hand instinctively to the gun secured at his side.

He watched as the wraith's lower lip trembled slightly, and in a heartbeat Leila was human, then wraith, then human again.

Ronon watched Leila with his hand firmly on his gun – the wraith-girl was switching between wraith form and human form with alarming speed. Evan moved forward cautiously and placed his hand on the girl's shoulder, "Leila-" he murmured, "Leila you need to calm-"

"No!" the girl snapped with surprising ferocity, now human she snarled at Ronon. "Even if you didn't kill her, you stopped me from being there – I could have saved her it was _your_ fault."

Ronon had made it his business to avoid the creature the Colonel had decided to keep. While he had been glad to receive Teyla's news that he hadn't been involved in the death of Leila's grandmother he did not accept that the girl should be allowed to roam the city, even under guard, and to find her here, throwing these accusations at him. Ronon drew his gun and glared down the barrel at her.

* * *

Later, Leila would only remember her actions through the haze of her fear, giving the memories a dream-like quality.

Someone was holding her shoulder, she deftly threw the attacker away, but her real enemy was between her and the door. She flew to the wall and climbed _up_, a ray of energy scorched the wall where she had been moments ago, if she could get just a little higher… She was high enough; Leila launched herself gracefully into the air and over her attacker, landing just behind him.

She ran.

Leila wasn't good at fighting, she didn't want to fight. She just wanted to run, it didn't matter where. She ran through hallways and rooms which blended together, and always her pursuer was at her heels, she dodged this way and that, not wanting him to get a clear shot. A stairway loomed before her, stairs would slow her down, Leila leapt into the air and hit the ground running, not the ground, but the handrail. She ran up the handrail and dismounted expertly at the end, not slowly her pace and continued. She wanted out of these dark, dank places, Leila _hated_ being trapped inside. Finally she could see it… sunlight! Leila had reached the top of the city.

* * *

Ronon had to admit, the girl was fast and very skilled - she knew how to run.

She ran as easily up narrow handrails as she did across flat ground; tables, chairs and people were just tools for her escape, John barked orders over the radio, there was a group of marines somewhere behind him, they would never be able to catch her.

Ronon couldn't determine where the girl was headed, but was aware that they were climbing to the top levels of the city and he remembered vividly her small, damaged body as she launched herself out of the window of the infirmary and drove himself just a little faster, he had to stop her before she reached the top of Atlantis, he couldn't live with himself if she tried that again.

He wouldn't be responsible for killing her. He couldn't.

Ronon saw an open balcony ahead and knew that he would not reach her in time, without slowing down he raised his gun, took aim and shot her.

Ronon watched as the figure crumpled and skidded towards the edge, he threw himself to ground and reached his arm out-

He caught her wrist just in time, the stunned Leila slid off the balcony to hang in the air over the city. Leila exhaled noisily, the air rushing from her lungs as she looked down, slowly her eyes cleared and the haze that clouded her mind cleared. _What had she done?_

Ronon lay on his stomach, gasping for air and from the effort of holding Leila's weight with one hand, he pulled himself to the edge to look at her.

Despite taking the full force of his stun blast Leila was still conscious, barely, she looked up and her eyes widened with fear. Ronon watched with horror as the girl began to struggle. "You'll fall," he growled, "Let me pull you up."

The girl ceased struggling and a small whimper escaped her lips, "You're hurting me," she whispered.

"Would you rather I let you go?" Ronon asked quizzically. He half expected her to affirm that she did, but Leila weakly shook her head and sighed. "Give me your other hand," he told her.

She watched him with distrustful eyes, but Ronon refused to give anymore assurances, he _had_ stopped her from falling, wasn't that enough?

Slowly she raised her other hand to him, her fine pale fingers outstretched.

Ronon wrapped his large dark hand and wrapped it around her tiny white wrist. "Okay," he murmured, he found his feet and began to pull the girl up, when her face was almost level with his she planted her feet against the wall "Wait," she commanded.

Ronon felt his eyes widen slightly in surprise, "What?" he snapped, his arms were sore, he wanted this over with.

"Why are you helping me?" she asked.

"Can't it wait?"

"No."  
"I don't think this is time to-"

"Why?" she demanded.

Ronon knew she wasn't asking why it couldn't wait, he watched her with conflicting emotions. Finally he answered "I couldn't just let you fall; I don't want to kill you."

Leila nodded slowly, accepting that answer. "You don't want me to fall," she repeated softly, then closed her eyes and _changed_. "But do want me to fall?"

Ronon fought the wave of revulsion that rose from deep within him as he came face to face with one of the creatures he had dedicated his life to hunting and killing.

But his attention was drawn back to the face in question by a sniffle. Despite the wraith-like features, the colour of Leila's eyes, the expression in them… they were unchanged, and there were fat tears welling in them, and threatening to spill down her porcelain face. Ronon tightened his grip and rose to his feet, pulling the girl onto the balcony; she collapsed at his feet and rubbed her sore wrists.

"What are you?" Ronon asked; his heart full with emotions he couldn't begin to unpack.

She rose to her feet and looked up at him, her eyes appeared as full as his heart, but her face was determined and her shoulders set.

"I am Leila."


	8. Chapter 8

If you like this, or if you don't like it, please review, I'm desperate to know if people like it or not. It doesn't have to be nice, just let me know what you think, it doesn't have to be long or constructive, I'd take a "update soon" or a "get outta here your writing sucks" over nothing :) Really!

I was originally planning to write this and then a sequel, but I'm thinking I might just write straight through to the end. It will mean that about half way through the story will change direction a bit and jump forward about six months.

What do you think? Is that better than leaving this story with a cliff hanger and continuing in another story?

Got this chapter out much quicker because it's holidays, I'm pretty free till end of February so I'm hoping to keep churning out chapters, I've been writing this chapter on my laptop out in the sun :) I love spring weather.

Chapter Eight

Colonel Samantha Carter wrung her hands as she paced back and forth in front of the rather shame faced Leila and a stoic Ronon. Leila chewed on her lower lip while staring at some point on the floor, while Ronon glowered as Sam berated the two for their actions. The Colonel wasn't really angry.

She was scared.

Leila hadn't said a word since the marines had found her and Ronon on that balcony, the unlikely pair had been silently looking into each eyes.

Ronon had repeatedly attempted to interrupt Sam's tirade, he seemed to be defending Leila, if a little half-heartedly. If Sam wasn't so preoccupied she would have wondered at his unusually submissive behaviour.

Any chances Leila had at being allowed to remain on base had been shattered, and Sam fought furiously with the angst that accompanied the unwelcome thoughts of what would happen to the girl if she was handed over to the IOA.

"You injured your guard, ran away and nearly got yourself killed!" she bit out.

Ronon stepped in again: "I was the one who shot up the training room, I instig-"

"I know that!" Sam snapped, causing Ronon to back down, he had never seen the Colonel angry. Sam lowered her voice and looked sadly at Leila. "I know. But the IOA won't see it that way."

Leila stayed quiet, she wouldn't defend herself, she knew she shouldn't have run. She didn't know why Ronon was trying to explain away her actions but she wouldn't help him. In her fear she had attacked Evan, landing him in the infirmary with two cracked ribs. He was her first real friend. She could have killed him.

Leila looked up, her decision was made. "Colonel, it's okay."

Sam turned to her and softly implored her "Leila…"  
Leila glanced at Ronon and quickly looked away. She didn't want to look at him, "I couldn't control my own fear," she said calmly. "I injured Evan… Major Lorne… I can't be here."  
Sam fell silent. Leila could have come up with all sorts of explanations for her behaviour, but instead she had taken ownership of it. It seemed unfair, that just as Leila was beginning to show her mettle, she would be taken away. Leila had made a decision, and so had Sam. She drew a breath, "you don't know these people Leila. But I do, and I won't let you fall into their hands," she looked at Ronon, challenging; questioning. "I will let you through the star gate, and will take personal responsibility for your escape."

Leila's head shot up, "You would do that?" her heart soared momentarily at the possibility of returning home. And then she remembered her home, lonely, quiet. Her crops and livestock would all be dead by now. She would have to hunt the keep herself fed all winter. And she would be alone, no Evan, no Teyla.

"No," Ronon broke the silence. "It would end your career, Atlantis still needs you. I'll do it."

The ensuing argument that broke out gave Leila time to think. She wasn't opposed to going with the IOA, except that she feared that it would cause Sam grief, the woman had done enough for her already. What had she done to these people to make them care so much about her?

And Ronon… Leila didn't want to think about Ronon. There had to be an alternative.

She glanced over to Sam's desk, and her eyes fell on the tablet that laid there. The same tablet she had seen Rodney with.

When she had seen Rodney with that tablet she had been afraid. She didn't like what it had meant for her. But it was possible…

"Stand down Ronon I am the commander of this base! This is _my call_," Sam yelled, not withering under Ronon's murderous gaze.

Leila picked the tablet up and walked to stand between the two, "Colonel, Ronon, please…"

The two stopped and looked at her. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth and looked to the colonel. "What if I could offer a skill… a service to Atlantis that they wouldn't be able to get elsewhere? Would the IOA let me stay here?"

Sam looked at her, her mind turning, "Depending on the usefulness of that skill, maybe, what did you have in mind."

Leila held up the tablet, "I can read this tablet," she murmured.

Sam looked at the tablet, "You can read wraith?"

Leila nodded, "I saw Rodney carrying that tablet, it took me a while to realise what is, I'd never seen wraith writing before but I can understand it."

The glimmer of hope that had risen in Sam's chest faded. "While that is useful to know, many people have been taught to read the writing of the wraith, Leila. I do not think that-"

"But you can't read all of it," Leila cut in. "You can't see that the writing goes…" Leila trailed off, casting around for the right words to describe what she saw "The writing goes _into_ the tablet… as well as left and right and up and down…"

Sam stopped pacing in front of Leila and peered at her thoughtfully, trying to process what Leila had attempted tell her. "You're saying that the text is three dimensional?"

That was what she had been trying to say. "Yes," Leila answered simply, with an affirmative nod of the head.

"You can see this text," she grabbed the tablet and held it up, "as a three dimensional text."

Leila glanced at Ronon, her eyes kept travelling back to him, "Not right now-"

"Leila!" Sam hissed, her eyes frantic, "You just said you could-"

Leila bit her lip and concentrated, and when she opened her eyes, she was wraith. "I can not only understand wraith, but I can _see_ into the tablet, everything important is hidden, and unless you have a wraith here that is willing to translate, I'm all you've got. Would the IOA go for that?"

Sam had been watching Ronon while Leila talked, he inclined his head slightly and Sam smiled.

"They just might."

* * *

Ronon felt, rather than watched Leila, as he accompanied her to the infirmary. He didn't know what had happened between them earlier, but he was sure he didn't like it, in the hour since she had stopped him from pulling her up and changed in front of him he felt his senses had become acutely tuned to her. The closer they got to the infirmary the stiffer her shoulders got; he could just see her tossing her dark head slightly, the way she did when she was agitated.

She didn't need to be agitated, he thought, _Lorne's too busy being in love with you to care you tried to kill him_.

Leila stopped and looked at him warily, her bright eyes flicking about his face.

"What?" he snapped gruffly. He didn't like it when she looked at him. Her alabaster complexion was beautiful, he felt his face twitch - pale skin was for sickly people, he didn't like pale skin.

Leila squared her shoulders, instinctively rising to his snappish retort, "You made a sort of… growling sound." Ronon stoically stared back, Leila looked away first. "Fine," she mumbled, raising her shoulder uncomfortably and wrapping her arms around herself, "Let's just get there."

They walked silently, side by side through the city, Atlantis personnel instinctively clearing a path for the formidable pair. Ronon watched impassively as Leila's unspoken agitation increased until they reached the infirmary and she froze.

Leila looked in the infirmary and a great sigh escaped her lips and her shoulders slumped.

"I'll wait here until the new guard arrives," Ronon said, nodding towards the infirmary.

Leila looked at the floor though her dark lashes, but didn't move. "I think I'll just wait here too… until they turn up," she murmured.

Ronon crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, but didn't say anything. He watched her with eyes that Leila couldn't read.

"I didn't want to stay here," she said suddenly, looking up at him. "I don't know how to act around people, I'm not used to it, I think… I think it would be better if I went home. But I couldn't do that to the Colonel, and I couldn't have her feeling sad because I was with the IOA either." Ronon remained silent, and Leila looked imploringly at him, the words tumbling from her lips, did she even make sense? "I just meant to say," Leila looked from Ronon to the infirmary, and tried again _Just say what you meant to say_ she berated herself. "I'm sorry. For staying. I know you wanted me gone, ages ago."

Leila watched as Ronon's eyes narrowed and he gracefully moved from the wall and placed a hand on her shoulder, was he… _comforting_ her? He nodded once more in the direction of the infirmary, "Major Lorne wants to see you."

Leila nodded, it was only right that she saw him. She had to tell him sorry, she'd promise to stay away, and she'd confine herself to her quarters and just translate wraith data all day and night.

Leila approached the young Doctor Keller, would the doctor hate her? Jen looked up and smiled warmly, "Leila, Evan has been asking for you."

* * *

So that's chapter eight… review please! And thank you to everyone who has reviewed :)

I know Leila's been a bit of a cry baby so far, I couldn't imagine her going through this trauma without falling apart, she's not superwoman :) but as she's getting herself together you'll see a stronger, tougher Leila. I hope you like her; to me she is a delightful character, with faults and flaws and strengths.


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry for long delay nothing seems to be coming easily at the moment. Thank you for reviews, next chapter should be up much faster.

Chapter Nine

Leila made her way slowly towards Teyla's quarters. She detoured by every window and balcony she could find.

Evan had suffered only some minor bruising and had dismissed her heartfelt apology with an impatient wave of his hand, concerned only, it seemed, for her own wellbeing. Her fears proved unfounded as, far from hating Leila, the young Major had become more attentive than ever. The only person who spent more time with her than Evan was Teyla, who had taken over Leila's sparring training.

The ocean surrounding Atlantis was magnificent, and unlike anything she'd ever seen but… Leila missed the forest. She yearned for the trees that stretched into the cloudbank, and the river whose gentle beauty had long ago compelled her grandmother to stop running with the newborn Leila and rest. The river where her house still stood.

Leila's guard had been relaxed, though Leila suspected the change was a result of an unwillingness on her guards part to follow her around the city all day than on any merit of her own. Leila had a need for near constant for movement and even Evan had tired of following Leila around the city for hours at a time.

As Leila approached her destination her sensitive ears picked up two voices, _Teyla and Evan_.

Leila didn't exactly mean to eavesdrop, but her hearing was more sensitive than that of a normal human and she could hear their voices from down the hallway, while she was still out of sight.

And Evan was speaking loudly, his voice agitated, "I have no idea what you are talking about, I could never-"

Teyla cut Evan off. "I am sorry, if I have offended you. I am just unsure as to whether your feelings are clear."

Silence fell between the two and Leila wondered if Teyla had a laid a hand on Evan's shoulder. She knew first hand the power of Teyla's touch. "Leila is still fragile, Evan, and you need to be prepared that even when she is ready; you may not be who she wants."

Leila was in sight now and she reached out carefully with her thoughts and brushed Teyla's mind, she didn't want them to keep talking about her, for some reason what she had heard of their conversation made her feel sick to her stomach. Teyla looked up at her, surprised at the contact, "Leila," she greeted.

Evan turned to her, but his smile, usually so easy and natural appeared forced.

"Leila is presenting her translations with Samantha and the team this morning," Teyla explained to Evan.

"Good luck," he murmured, "I'll leave you to it."

Teyla watched him go with an unidentifiable expression on her face, which softened into a gentle smile when she looked to Leila. The Athosian shrugged her shoulders and inclined her head, "Shall we go?"

^*^*%^&$%

As much as possible, Leila had avoided Ronon, for entirely different to reasons to when she had first arrived in Atlantis. She didn't know what to think about what had happened on that balcony. She didn't know how.

When she was near the giant, Leila found she could not ignore him. Her eyes, all on their own, consistently found their way to him, her body was acutely aware of him, and reacted to his every word and movement. It was distracting, embarrassing and sickening. She hated the way she felt when she was near him.

So she had changed strategy.

No longer would her eyes drift over to him, no longer would her face burn when he caught her sneaking glances at him. After all, Leila was sure it was his fault, and she would not give him the satisfaction of making her uncomfortable.

And it was working.

"In summary, I believe we can conclude that the wraith are very afraid of Michael and what the future holds for them, they are banding together in a last ditch attempt to stave off his hybrid army and secure worlds uncontaminated by the Hothom virus" Leila finished her recap of what she learned, her eyes not leaving Ronon for a second. For the first time since she had met him, he seemed uncomfortable. In fact, if he was capable of showing such weakness, Leila swore that the big man would be squirming in his seat.

This thought sent a thrill through the young woman; by giving into her instinctual need to watch him she had unnerved Ronon far more effectively than by avoiding him. From the moment she had entered the room she had stared at him, trying her best to bore holes through the side of his face.

Leila felt a twinge of shame at her behaviour, after all Ronon hadn't really done anything wrong. But he _did _unnerved her... was it really so petty to want to return the favour?

Ronon had stopped trying to return her gaze, Leila didn't need to blink so there was no way he could win, and his eyes were currently fixated on the door, his handsome face set in a deep scowl.

He hadn't said a word during the proceedings, and appeared unlikely to.

%^$%^$^%$^

Sam took a mental step back to consider what they knew. The wraith were ceasing their infighting and banding together to repel Michael's attempts at genocide, and Michael's only weakness appeared that to be that his hybrids were not yet perfected. Sam looked to Teyla, who instinctively understood and inclined her head slightly. Leila was a perfect mix of wraith and human, with the strengths of the wraith unhindered by the need to feed on humans. It was of the utmost importance that she be kept from Michael. There was no doubt in either of their minds that Leila would give Michael the information he needed to perfect his clones. Even knowledge of the possibility of a wraith mating with humans could doom the galaxy.

John had been watching the meaningful glances that passed between the women, when he caught Teyla's eye he nodded that he too understood. He looked to Ronon, whose scowl deepened, but who gave a nod of agreement. No one bothered to try and alert McKay to the unspoken agreement, he was not sensitive enough to perceive their meaning. Leila could not be allowed to fall into Michael's hands. Leila would remain in Atlantis until Michael and his legacy were destroyed.

^*&^*^*(&(*

Sam concluded the meeting and the team filed out, Rodney prattling to Sam about some adjustments he was about to make to the cities defence systems. Teyla looked back from the door to where the tense pair remained.

Leila stood in the centre of the room glaring daggers at Ronon, who was sprawled back in his chair, but still focussed on the door. He was an intimidating figure, but Teyla could tell he was uncomfortable under her gaze. She left the room before allowing herself to smile; laughing at them now would be like throwing fuel on a fire. She had faith they would work it out, hopefully before one of them was _permanently_ injured.

^*^*^*&^*&

Ronon wasn't sure which was more difficult, returning the girl's baleful gaze or trying to ignore her. His senses were acutely aware of her every movement and he knew without looking that she was still standing in the centre of the room, Ronon could _feel_ her eyes watching him.

Without the incumbency of the team, Ronon once again turned his face to her and looked Leila in the eye. He relaxed into his seat, and met her fierce glare, his eyes bright with the challenge. He knew Sheppard would disapprove, but he would not be _bullied_ by a five foot half breed.

She seemed taken aback by his sudden change in demeanour, and Ronon received some satisfaction from her uncertainty.

Leila's eyes broke away and looked quickly around the room, and her eyes widened as the realisation that they were alone dawned on her. A sudden tension seemed to fill the room and Ronon could hear Leila quickened breathing until she shifted, as anxiety clouding her eyes. Ronon's eyes darkened as he watched her, refusing to respond to the apprehension in her large eyes.

Suddenly the girl spun on her heel and bolted from the room.

Ronon remained motionless; trying to process what had passed between them and wondered absently if they ever be able to interact normally.

The image of her on the balcony just after he had saved her filled his mind; her pale eyes shining through the tears. And he remembered her awkward apology outside the infirmary, the anguish that had wracked her delicate features and the pain that offset her voice.

Ronon was moving, following her, before his mind registered what he was doing.

He remembered her broken and dying, chained to her cell like an animal.

_What was he doing?_

A surge of anger rose up unbidden in Ronon's chest. She had come to his home, won everyone over and then proceeded to spend her time confusing the hell out of him – running from him, attacking him, ignoring him, staring at him.

Ahead of him Leila stepped into the transporter and Ronon shifted into a run. The runner overtook her then spun lithely and slammed his hands against the wall on either side of her face.

"What the hell is your problem?" he hissed at the girl.

Ronon watched as her body drew back into the wall, he noticed her eyes widen with fear and dart to the exit. _Fight or flight_.

To his intense surprise, Ronon immediately regretted his rash actions, "Leila," he murmured. He wanted to say something, but nothing seemed appropriate. He didn't know what he wanted from her; he didn't know why he had her pinned against a wall.

Her eyes found his and softened, but she didn't relax. His large dark frame towered over her slight form and Ronon realised suddenly that her perfect, pale face was a lot closer than he thought. Her full lower lip trembled.

A screeching alarm penetrated the fog that had descended over his thoughts as the doors to the transporter began to rapidly close.

Ronon watched in horror as Leila ducked under his arm and attempted to escape through the closing gap, then grabbed the girl around the waist and hauled her back against his body just as the door sealed shut.

They were trapped.


	10. Chapter 10

Sorry about the long delay, life caught up with me ^^

So this is chapter 10, and I'll get to writing chapter 11 tomorrow. FFnet has done something weird to dividers so I need to go back and edit earlier chapters to make sure the breaks are in there... and I'll take a good look at them fix up the grammatical errors I know are in there.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, you have been so kind to me.

If you like Power Rangers have a look at my new Tommy/Kimberly fic, I'm quite happy with it.

-888-

Chapter 10

Ronon knew as soon as he saw Leila dive for the door that she wouldn't make it. Unthinkingly he lunged forward and grabbed her roughly around the waist and hauled her away from the door as it sealed shut.

Leila was stronger than any human her size, but she was still tiny and it shouldn't have been difficult for Ronon to restrain her but she shrieked at him and fought in his arms. When he was sure she was safe Ronon released her, drawing back from her. He didn't like touching the wraith-girl.

Free of Ronon's arms Leila turned her back on him and flew to the door where she struggled in vain to prise the door open with her hands.

Ronon watched her antics, somewhat amused. Her reaction was exactly what his had been the last time this had happened, and she was doing exactly what he would be doing if she wasn't here.

But watching Leila struggle with the door was borderline ridiculous. Her long, fine fingers sought for a gap in the door, her dark hair swished angrily around her tiny frame... Ronon was sure that when he had tried to break open the door in the infirmary he didn't look nearly so foolish.

"Communication's down," he told her.

At his voice Leila stiffened, as if suddenly aware of his presence. She rounded on him and her face was distinctly unhuman.

Ronon recoiled instinctively and his hand fell automatically to his gun.

Leila's eyes were more wraith-like than ever and as pale as ice, deep scars marred her cheeks, and her skin was even paler than usual, though still smooth and even in tone.

"This is _your _fault!" she hissed, pressing her body away from him, against the door. "Why didn't you let me go-"

Was her voice more distorted than last time?

Ronon hated this feeling. She was hurling accusations against him _again_. One part of him was angry, and responded to her challenge; the other part of him was calmer. Because Ronon had seen this reaction from her before, and it seemed he was becoming accustomed to it from her.

She was panicking. Leila was afraid of him.

"You wouldn't have made it," he told her gruffly. "These doors don't stop for anyone, you could've been hurt."

"I'm _fast_."

"Not that fast," he growled, looking at the failed screen.

After how uncomfortable she had made him feel, there was no reason why Ronon should feel the need to comfort this freaked out, half-human half-wraith _creature_. It wasn't like he was in the habit of comforting distressed women either.

Although he had been once... in another life on Sateda. Ronon Dex had been a devoted son and loving partner. Even then he hadn't exactly been in touch with his feminine side, but he liked to think he been somewhat intuitive.

Ronon turned his empty hands up. "We are going to get out of here."

She shook her head, her pale cat-like eyes frantic. Ronon watched with some relief as she slowly began to calm herself. Maybe he wasn't the only one becoming accustomed to her extreme reactions.

"This has happened before, and they managed to fix it last time. McKay was doing something to the security systems, he probably messed something up like normal."

Leila snorted and a wavering smile came to her lips. "It's happened before," she clarified.

"Last year. I got locked in the infirmary."

"For how long?"

"Not long enough. Or too long."

Ronon noticed how she had relaxed, the way she looked up at him. She was obviously curious about his cryptic statement but Ronon wasn't about to elaborate.

Leila sighed and looked wistfully at the door. "You're sure we can't get it open?" she asked him again. "Even if we... worked together?"

Ronon couldn't help but be pleased by her offer, or tempted by the idea to try. Almost every muscle in his body begged him to try and force the door open. "No," he steeled himself. "Last time Sheppard broke a window and escaped, and the city tried to self destruct."

Leila's eyes widened in horror and Ronon shrugged. "McKay said it was the city's version of self-defence."

"So you're just giving up?" she demanded.

Who would have thought that he, Ronon Dex, would be the one to think before he acted, to accept that there was nothing he could do? To trust that McKay or one of the others would work it out?

But maybe that's what happened when you saw how foolish acting rashly was, Ronon wasn't learning by the examples of Atlantis so much as by his determination to avoid looking idiotic in front of Leila.

Ronon found that he noticed things about Leila that he normally wouldn't notice about anyone. The way she shifted constantly, unable to remain completely still unless she was threatened, the way she tossed her head when she was thinking about something was bothering her.

"I don't think we're in danger," he offered by way of explanation.

Ronon noticed how she relaxed, and watched as her face shifted subtly, the distinctly wraith-like features fading. He realised he had almost forgotten they were there.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, unsure of what to do now. They were stuck in this transporter for god-knows how long, and it wasn't like small talk was his speciality.

Leila tossed her small head distractedly, her dark glossy hair bouncing. "It's... very small," she said finally.

Ronon watched her carefully, then gracefully settled himself onto the floor. "I thought you were getting used to small spaces."

He raised his hands and seemingly nonchalantly tucked them behind his head.

She looked down at him, seeming surprised by how comfortable he appeared to be.

Ronon felt it too; something in the way they interacted had changed.

He remembered her face as he grasped her wrist, stopping her from plummeting from the balcony and into the ocean below. He remembered cradling her to his chest as he carried her broken body to the safety of the infirmary.

Twice.

"I... am getting used to being indoors," she answered after some deliberation. "But it's not the same." Ronon watched as Leila fought with her instincts, finally crouching on the floor as far from him as possible. "You seem... quite comfortable. Indoors, I mean."

Ronon was taken aback; her comment was an invitation to a conversation.

He had seen her in animated conversions with Major Lorne, and he knew she was getting close to both Doctor Keller and Teyla, but never did Ronon imagine that she would overcome her aversion to him and actually _speak _to him.

"I'd been on the run for a long time, but Atlantis is my home now," he answered hesitantly.

Leila remained crouching, Ronon had never seen her sit, but her features shifted and she was human once more. Or as human as she would ever be, there was a graceful quality about her that would always set her apart from other people.

"You get to leave though... quite often," she probed.

Ronon measured the wistful tone of Leila's voice, the cautiousness in her eyes. She still didn't trust him.

Ronon didn't trust her either, so that worked well for him.

He inclined his head slightly. Leila didn't inquire further, but the longing in her face intensified.

Unable to bear the wistfulness in her gaze Ronon relented. "When I came to Atlantis, I had to stay in the city for two weeks before Doctor Weir approved me to join Sheppard's team."

The conversation should have been awkward, but although it was disjointed, Ronon found he was not uncomfortable.

He surprised at the passion behind her next words. "How did you cope?" she breathed, leaning towards him ever so slightly.

Unbidden Ronon remembered her face close to his as he confronted her just moments before the doors sealed shut, locking them in this transporter. He remembered her breath on his lips.

"I spent a lot of time sparring, training the guys here."

Leila exhaled sharply through her nose.

"Evan thought I would like that, but..." she trailed off. Ronon remembered their encounter that day. He remembered the feeling that had ballooned in his chest when he had caught his wrist in her hand and realised she was safe. He remembered her eyes brimming with emotion as they stood in silence on that balcony.

"I never apologised," Ronon said gruffly. "For what happened that day."

Leila's eyes widened and turned down at his admission.

_Did she ever blink?_

Leila's lips parted slightly and she became very still, unable or unwilling to make eye contact she stared instead at his chest. "You don't need to," she murmured, nodding to herself. "I should never have let Evan talk me into that. I know why I'm here and I overstepped my welcome."

Ronon was surprised by the bitter tone that laced her voice. It seemed unlike her.

"What do you mean?"

Leila smiled and rocked back on her heels, shaking her head. She ran her fingers over the door and Ronon wondered if she was _willing_ it to open.

"Why are you here?" he asked her again.

Ronon was genuinely interested in what had bought the self-mocking smile to her face. Leila had always seemed so... wild. Instinctual. This was the most jaded he had seen her.

"I'm too dangerous to be set free. I don't belong here, with people."

Ronon couldn't deny the reason she had been entombed in the Ancestral city was because her genetic peculiarities posed too great a risk to fall into Michael's hands. But he had also seen how the people of Atlantis had warmed to her, even now she wasn't under guard she never lacked company.

Particularly Lorne's.

It was no longer just their own safety that concerned the people of Atlantis. They were worried about her; somehow she had bewitched them and wiggled her way into their hearts.

"That's not true," Ronon disagreed gruffly.

"I'm not even human!"

As if to prove her point her face shifted, deep scars formed in her cheeks and her pupils narrowed into dark slits.

"Does that hurt?" Ronon asked, suitably distracted.

The tiny wraith girl flashed to her feet and struck the door with the edge of her hand, actually creating a small dent in the solid door.

Ronon was amazed by the speed with which she moved, the strength that she possessed... And how juvenile the action was.

Leila groaned and leaned her head against the door. "Let. Me. Out," she hit her head against the door to emphasise each word.

"I think you're wrong," Ronon told her, stretching his legs out and lounging against the wall. He figured he might as well be comfortable. Maybe if he relaxed Leila would too.

She cocked her head back towards him. "About what?"

"I know it's hard to be stuck here, but I think you're wrong about not belonging here."

Ronon watched her shoulders slump.

And this was what really bothered him. Today Leila had stopped ignoring him and focused her entire attention on him, her pale eyes burning holes into his face during their meeting. The young woman had then walked out on him, shrunk away from him, tried to run from him, foster a polite conversation with him and now she was back to ignoring him. Ronon didn't like having to decipher mixed signals; he wasn't used to studying people.

When Leila didn't turn back to him Ronon considered the possibility that was going to cry again. It annoyed him that he was worried about that possibility, and frustrated him that he was relieved when it appeared she was going to be okay.

She remained standing, her forehead pressed to the wall.

Finally Ronon rose and touched her shoulder, "You okay?"

The wraith-girl jumped at his touch with a hiss.

Jumped. Literally.

Jumped straight up and stayed there... Ronon looked up in surprise to see her suspended several feet above his head. It took him a second to see her fingers and toes gripping minute cavities in the wall. She wasn't suspended in the air; she was clinging to the wall.

Ronon backed off, aware she couldn't stay that way for long, already her fingers were slipping. He raised his hands and backed off, fighting the smile that played at the corners of his lips.

Ronon looked closely at her, noting the shallowness of her breathing and the way her eye lashes fanned across her cheeks as she squeezed her eyes shut in concentration.

"Leila..." he started.

She shook her head in response but didn't move. "I'm okay," she clarified. "Just give me a minute."

In the forest where she had survived by following her instincts, her fight or flight reactions would have saved her many times. And made her a formidable foe. But as Ronon watched her trying to combat her natural instinct to run he had to admit that her wild streak and unconventional upbringing made it very difficult for her to settle in to a normal life.

Because as much as people here seemed wary of him, and recognised that his years as a runner had changed him, Ronon had come from a civilised society. He had lived with his partner in a city, owned a house, been a part of the military... had a family.

Leila had been raised in the wild by her grandmother for fifteen years, then lived on her own.

Ronon tried to hold onto these thoughts, hoping that the next time she was difficult or irrational he would remember this and use it to keep himself calm.

Leila's fingers began to slip and purely on instinct he reached out and caught her in his arms.

Ronon saw spots and reeled back, surprised by the pain in his head. Did she just _hit _him?

"Get off me," she snapped, flipping deftly out his arms. "Don't you _ever_ touch me."

Ronon growled and crossed his arms, ignoring the throbbing in his head. It wasn't his fault his first instinct was to catch her. "If you hadn't freaked out I wouldn't have had to catch you."

Leila looked up at him and her face was as inhuman as he had seen it. "It was only a few feet I fall further that all the time," she hissed. "I _always _land on my feet."

Ronon glared back at her, aware his face was twisted into a sneer but unwilling to compose himself.

"You weren't trying to catch me at all you were going to-"

Leila gasped as Ronon snarled and stepped forward, his eyes bright and dangerous. Her breathing quickened and she sunk into a crouch and shifted her weight ready to spring.

Ronon watched her with barely surprised agitation, then whipped out his gun and levelled it at her.

Leila's eyes widened and her mouth fell slightly open, her face falling. Her bottom lip trembled slightly and Ronon sighed, tilting his gun to the side. Her reaction was completely uncalled for and he would not regret it, she should know better than to challenge an armed man in a confined space.

He would not regret it.

Ronon regretted it; he hated seeing the look of defeat on her face. He hated seeing Leila afraid of him.

But he was in this position now so what was he going do? Just apologise?

Like _that_ was going to happen.

Ronon felt his resolve wavering as he studied Leila, she remained crouched down, and he wished more than anything that she'd stand up, or look away.

He was about to lower his weapon and do something, _say something_, when the door opened with a whoosh.

Faster than Ronon could see Leila rose and spun on one foot then bounded from the transporter and out of sight.

-888-

Please review, your comments make me a better writer!


	11. Chapter 11

I love this story, and am enjoying writing it, I am aware I need to go back and fix errors but I wanted to get this chapter out.

I understand why people don't review, but can I please say that I desperately wish to hear what you think. I see the traffic going through here, I know people are reading but it's difficult to write without feedback, it is encouragement and an incentive to write new chapters at the very least. Please review

Thanks to gypseywitchbaby for your wonderful reviews, I heart you!

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Ronon rolled his eyes and grumbled as Jennifer Keller carefully stitched the minor cut on his forehead.

"Don't be like that," she smiled as she worked. "If it was anyone else I'd have them lying down to do this."

Ronon snorted, the injury didn't need stitches.

"Is she here?" Ronon heard a familiar voice chime.

"Just around the corner," someone answered Leila's query.

Doctor Keller looked at him cautiously and motioned for him to stay. "I'll be right back," she warned him.

Ronon hadn't seen Leila since she had fled from the transporter three days earlier. Ronon had wanted to throttle McKay for his 'error of judgement' which had led to the city initiating a full lock down for the second time in under twelve months.

McKay however had already taken an earful from Colonel Carter, and was serving his punishment helping Doctor Keller in the infirmary.

_Some punishment..._

"I made you a muffin," he heard Leila tell the doctor.

"You _made _it?" he heard the doctor exclaim. "Have you been annoying the kitchen staff again?" she asked suspiciously, Ronon could hear the gentle teasing in the young doctor's tone.

Leila danced into view; swung herself onto a bench and smiled. "Alexander _asked _me to go see him in the kitchen; he showed me how to make the muffins."

_Now the half-breed was making their food_.

Jennifer smiled and took the procured muffin with a gracious thank you. "I'll be one minute and we can get some lunch," she told Leila, turning back to Ronon.

Leila's gaze followed hers and she stiffened when she saw Ronon.

Ronon watched as Leila lowered her eyes. She didn't look at him or acknowledge him, but continued to stare at the ground.

Jennifer bit her lip and looked uncertainly between them; finally she raised her hand and laid it on Leila's shoulder. Comforting her.

Unlike when Ronon made contact with her, Leila just lifted her head and looked up at the doctor through her long, thick eyelashes.

"How about I finish up here, and I meet you in the mess?" the doctor suggested.

Leila smiled briefly and bounded away, with a fluidity that turned the head of the nursing staff, and several patients too. She displayed an ease of movement that was distinctly inhuman. Ronon knew that the most skilled Satedan dancers, the most lethal warriors had nothing on the unconscious grace Leila possessed.

Jennifer finished treating him quickly and deftly, then pulled back. "She's sweet, you know," she told him. "And she's trying really hard... it wouldn't hurt to-"

Ronon stood, startling the doctor and he turned on her. "I'm not the one ignoring me for days and weeks at a time," he growled.

The doctor raised her chin slightly and gave him an appraising look, before she could speak again Ronon grunted and strode from the room.

_Why did _everyone _take her side?_

-888-

Leila ignored the smiles and gestures of the people she knew and found an unoccupied table in the corner of the mess hall. Mostly she had adjusted to the presence of people who weren't trying to trap and kill her, and she found she genuinely liked talking to people. Most of the time.

Sometimes, Leila just longed for the open space of the forest, the peace that came with being the only sentient in an entire forest. The peace of being home.

Despite this, Leila had tried to keep her mind occupied, throwing herself into translating wraith data and schematics, and she surrounded herself with people to occupy her attention. Because when she had too much time to herself... those were the times she had to consider her problems.

_Her problems_ because Leila had to admit that she always overreacted in _his_ presence. When she saw him she didn't see the monster who had nearly killed her all those years ago, but the man she constantly humiliated herself in front of.

It was worse than being afraid of him, she decided. Fear made sense, it was a simple and understandable reaction, but embarrassment was not something Leila was used to dealing with.

"What happened during the quarantine?" a gentle voice asked her.

Leila looked up at the doctor somewhat guiltily. "I made a fool of myself," she whispered, mortified. Leila discarded those thought violently and squared her shoulders, it _wasn't _her fault. "It was his fault, I didn't _need _catching."

The doctor smiled and slowly cut her muffin in half, offering half to the girl who relaxed the stubborn set of her chin to take it. "He's a good person Leila."

Leila pushed her food around her plate unhappily. "What do you know of him?" she asked quietly.

Jennifer tilted her head slightly, confused by the question. "What did you want to know?"

"Everything."

-888-

Ronon growled as he fought off his attackers. One by one the three marines went down, and Ronon felt a distinct satisfaction in the knowledge he had won again.

"Who's next?" he asked, crouching down to take a closer look at his opponents.

One of them groaned and rolled over, still clutching his side. "I've taken enough beatings for this week man."

Ronon sighed and looked around for a taker but everyone avoided his gaze and shuffled under his challenge. Realising he was not going to find a sparring partner he left to find some form of food.

He didn't recognise anyone he particularly knew in the mess hall, so he took his food and wandered off to find some solitude. He didn't want to go to his quarters; he spent enough time inside as it was.

In his search for fresh air Ronon found that he was near the balcony where he had first shot Leila, where he stopped her from falling into the ocean. He slowed and began to make his to that spot, retracing his steps and remembering the adrenaline that had coursed through his vein with regret.

He hadn't seen the wraith-girl in two days, since she had spotted him in the infirmary and Ronon found it was getting more difficult to keep his mind away from her.

He didn't like the way he kept remembering snippets from their encounters, the way his mind insisted on deconstructing every sentence she spoke, every gesture she made and every look in her pale, expressive eyes.

Ronon rounded the corner onto the balcony and froze.

Perched precariously on the hand rail was Leila. Her long, dark train of hair whipped around her in the breeze as she gazed out over the ocean.

"You won't land on your feet if you fall from there," Ronon said finally. His heart beat loudly in his chest, while he was sure Leila knew what she doing and wouldn't fall, he instinctually wanted to pull her away from the edge. It _was_ a long way to fall.

She tilted her head back towards him and Ronon could see her cheek lift, smiling. "I knew you were there," she said.

Ronon wasn't sure how to respond, as he so often did he fell back on his trusty silence.

Leila however leapt backwards from the railing and turned to face him, her eyes were full with emotions Ronon couldn't decipher.

Ronon watched with some trepidation as she slowly and cautiously approached, graceful even in the tiny steps she took. Leila came to a stop when she was standing close enough to need to look up to meet his eyes and drew her bottom lip in between her teeth.

"John said you lost everyone when the wraith attacked Sateda; that you lived on your own for seven years." Her eyes filled with water and her forehead creased. Ronon knew Leila already knew about his somewhat colourful history, but it appeared she had been digging for more information.

"Jennifer says you saved her when she captured by another runner, that you once saved a whole ship full of people. Teyla says that you are kind and gentle." A small smile tugged unwilling at her lips, "Rodney thinks your all muscle, no brains or fitness, which is a recommendation in itself."

Ronon couldn't help but smile, and her lips trembled into a brief smile before she bit down on her bottom lip again.

Had she spent the last few days asking around about him? Everything she had repeated so far had been complimentary, so why did she look so nervous?

"John said you were once captured by the wraith and tortured into being a wraith worshipper," she said, her words rushed together.

Ronon frowned, her words didn't sound like an accusation, so he remained silent. He would be calm.

The wetness in Leila's eyes gave her pale eyes the illusion they were shimmering in the sunlight, suddenly she spun around and dashed back to the balcony. Ronon looked at the empty space between them and stepped forward automatically to be closer.

Exposed to the wind Leila's hair lifted and fell like a dark silken sheet, she leaned out over the balcony, faced turned up to the sky.

"I owe you many apologies..." she said quietly, the wind caught her musical voice and carried it out to sea.

"For what?"

Ronon saw Leila's pale hands clench around the hand rail, and her voice was terse when she spoke. "For my behaviour," she ground out.

Ronon felt his stomach rumble and saw Leila's head tilt slightly, Teyla had said her hearing was extraordinary. He removed the lid of his lunch tray and took a seat on the ground, leaning against the building with his legs stretched out in front of him.

She turned to him, her gaze incredulous. Ronon noticed the way she tossed her head ever so slightly, he recognised something had annoyed her and realised belatedly his actions might be considered rude.

Ronon watched the minute way her she shifted her weight, ready to spring into a run and leave the balcony and he sighed. "Wait."

She froze and looked at him, not quite ready to disregard the idea of fleeing.

_Always ready to run_.

"In the transporter," he raised his chin slightly, "I think you were wrong."

"Wrong about what?" she prodded, her eyes guarded.

"About not belonging here," he clarified.

Leila cocked her head to the side, still poised to spring for the doorway.

Ronon tilted his head to ground beside him, and she cautiously uncoiled and made her way to crouch beside him. She never truly relaxed, but Ronon was pleased she had approached him.

"You _aren't_ human," he echoed her sentiments from the transporter. "You're unique, but that doesn't mean you don't have a home."

His statement didn't seem to have the intended effect. Leila's eyes darkened and a crease appeared between her eyes as she pondered his words.

"Unique..." she repeated thoughtfully. "Unique like Michael?"

Ronon couldn't help the hiss escaping his lips but he quickly bit it back. "Michael's different," he snapped.

The corner of Leila's lips turned up, her eyes sparked. "How?" she challenged.

Ronon returned to his lunch, not sure how to respond.

Michael was a wraith, and he hadn't been raised by a human and taught human values like Leila either. Beyond that the team had lied to him, and the truth had a way of shattering lies no matter how well thought out or how well meaning they were.

Ronon eventually discarded that line of thought, as there was no, point comparing Leila to Michael. They were too different.

By all accounts Leila was vibrant and sweet and gentle. Even Ronon couldn't hate her, and he had tried. But how could anyone hate the small, vulnerable, stubborn, powerful girl crouching uneasily by his side? It was impossible.

She sighed and rose to her feet so fast his eyes could barely follow her.

"Wait," he said again.

She heaved her narrow shoulders and sighed theatrically. Ronon smiled, "I'm not good at speaking," he offered by way of apology.

Leila rolled her eyes but did not sit down. "I'm hungry," she said, making to leave again.

Ronon rose to his feet. "I'll come with you," he rumbled.

"You just ate!" she protested. She did not, however, reject his company and lead the way through the city.

"Only one tray," he shrugged. "Now I need to get my second tray."

When they had rounded the corner, Teyla poked her head out from where she had hidden when she heard the two approach. The smile that lit up her face stretched from one ear to the other.

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Me: *cough* *cough* _review! _*cough* *cough*

You: You okay?

Me: Yup. *cough* _review! _*cough* Yup I'm fine. *cough*


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